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Congress of Seasons
As part of the reparations at the close of the Fey War, the elves demanded greater control over the province of Elfswood, and the emperor responded by delegating all Imperial powers other than military command to the powerful Lords of Seasons. Each of these lords command one of the great eladrin tree-cities, known as feyspires, and together they began a joint administration of the province, forming the Congress of Seasons. The Congress, although supposedly subordinate to the emperor, has defied every Imperial edict and refuses to deisband its army. Most observers realise that the emperor will either have to let them continue to defy his authority or prepare to return to war. History Exile and Conquest The eladrin, in ages past, lived in the feywild. Here they had a mighty empire which stretched across its vast wilderness, relying on their arcane mastery to communicate and maintain their lands. However, the hags and fomorians of the plane became jealous of the Eladrin and demanded that they submit to them as servants. Unsuprisingly the elven empire refused and this began a war to protect their kingdom. The elves should have emerged victorious against the hags and fomorians, though a sect of elves betrayed their race and turned against their kin. The empire, in desperation, took drastic measure to preserve their civilisation, using arcane magic to transport their greatest cities into the mortal realm. When the war with the hags ended, they returned to their life as they had before, yet the elves who had failed to overthrow their bretheren were punished by the elven god Corellion. These he turned into the Drow, cursed to forever live beneath the earth for their crimes. Old Emnities The eladrin naturally hate the fomorians, hags and their servants for banishing them from the feywild however, as a collective the elven people under the Congress despise the drow for their betrayal. Many elves have sworn a vow to slay a drow on sight and it is well known that should the kingdom be given an opportunity they would declare war on the dark elves (geographically, that would be quite hilarious). Some beleive that the curse on the drow could end if their leader, Lolth, could be reconciled with the god Corellion, allowing all the elves to be one race again. The Feyspires Four feyspires were transported to the mortal plane and luckily landed in close proximity. The four cities quickly formed an alliance which remains unto this day, although each is a unique independent city state they all have close economic and military ties. ''Winterglade'' : The feyspire of Wintertree lies in the southern half of the Elfswood. Wintertree was the most prolific military in the Feywar, sending thousands of its troops to battle with the Empire. The city came under attack numerous times, although could never be completely destroyed. The imperial troops claimed that the city could move itself, with legions who had assaulted the city many times before puzzled when all they could see was more trees in place of where it once stood. Today admittance to the city is only granted by being blindfolded and led by the trusted knights of the Winterqueen from the elven enclave of Highbranch. ''Summercourt'' : The most beautiful, wealthiest and populated of the four feyspires, Summergarden is located in the Feywild. With great effort and expense the elves can transport summercourt back to the feywild, however due to the enormous strain the elves can only afford to do so for three mounts a year, and is known as the 'truesummer'. While in the feywild the city's defences are bolstered in case the elves should ever be attacked there again. ''Autumngrove'' : The legendary lost city of Autumnwood was supposed to be the fabled home of the Spellsmiths of the ancient Cedraine Empire. After the feyshit, Autumnwood was never heard from again, and some beleive that perhaps it never made it to the mortal plane. Other say that it was taken by the goblin kingdom of Zardonfell, however the only thing that is clear is that the Congress of Season will pay handsomely to find it, and has been actively searching for as long as they have known. ''Springwood'' : The arcane capital of the elven alliance, Springwood is home to enchanter's workshops, portals and the libraries of secret knowledge the eladrin are famous for. The daughter of sping is the ruling elf, rumoured to be thousands of years old, a powerful spellcaster and a patron to the cities many mages. Her faery wand is said to be able to control the creatures of the forest, and she leads a conven of druids known as the Druids of Petals. The Journeystone Some elven myths tell of the Journeystone, an artifact which could transport the feyspires back tot he feywild. Although most fold are sceptical, some elves have dedicated their lives to finding it to take their race back home. It is even rumoured to be held by a powerful Formorian king.